Thursday, February 25, 2010

BishopMuseum is offering an exclusive, guided tour into the historical Waipio Valley on Saturday, March 20, 2010. Guided by cultural resource specialist and master storyteller Tom Cummings, the tour will allow participants to visit with a family who cultivates taro, visit the sacred Pakaalana Heiau, and trek along the Waimanu trail.

Waipio Valley resident Byron Thomas will also lead the group and provide stories on areas associated with Hawaii’s alii. Oral histories indicate that as many as 10,000 people may have resided in this fertile valley at the time of Captain Cook’s arrival in 1778. Currently, only 50 people live in the Valley.

Cost for this special experience is $195 for BishopMuseum members; $210 for nonmembers. Air travel is not included. The Hawaii Forest & Trail will pick up participants at the Airport beginning at 8:00 a.m. and pick up participants who are already on island at Honoka‘a Park at 9:00 a.m.

Reservations are being accepted now! This guided tour is very limited. To make a reservation, please call Courtney Chow, Director of Membership, at (808) 848-4187 or by email at courtney.chow@bishopmuseum.org.

BishopMuseum’s mission is to study, preserve, and tell the stories of the natural and cultural history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific. To learn more, please visit www.bishopmuseum.org.